Christmas in Freezenberg
by cedfiafics
Summary: When Cedric is tasked with keeping Sofia from meeting her biological father's side of the family he must choose between his duty to his king and his duty to his best friend.


AN: So I wanted to write a cheery, lighthearted piece for the upcoming holiday season but in typical "me" fashion, I wrote something relatively angsty instead. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

I didn't want to specifically age Sofia in this because the relationship between her and Cedric is purely innocent fluff and I wanted the reader to be able to picture her at any age they want. She can be a little girl or a young woman or anywhere in between, it's up to you.

Please enjoy!

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" _Tell her whatever you must..."_ Roland had directed him, _"but no matter what happens, she is not to meet the Balthazar family."_

The order from his king was direct and simple and yet there they were, a mittened hand gripping his gloved fingers tightly as they stood with feet ice cold in the snow outside the Balthazar mansion. It was unnaturally quiet outside. The only sound he could hear was coming from the princess at his side in the form of slow, shuddering breaths. He was certain that he could have heard her heart pounding in her chest if only he had been standing a smidgen closer.

He glanced down at her, snowflakes clinging to her hair and cloaked shoulders as she stared motionless at the gates before them. Her face was pale outside of the rosiness of her cheeks and nose, symptoms of the cold surrounding them.

He was initially prepared to allow her as much inaction as she deemed necessary but the light outside was beginning to dwindle and the snow around their feet was piling higher and higher. He had to say something.

"Sofia... we don't have to do this right now." Cedric offered softly. "We can come back at another time."

Then her gaze flew to his, eyes wide as saucers as she stared up at him. She looked on the verge of tears but her resolve seemed strong as she quickly shook her head in response.

"No. This is something I need to do." She uttered.

Indeed, she had practically screamed as much at him earlier in the day. From the moment of their arrival in Freezenberg it seemed that Sofia was adamant about one thing and one thing alone; reconnecting with her estranged family.

It was something King Roland had feared from the moment the invitation had arrived for James, Amber and Sofia to attend Princess Hildegard's grand Christmas Eve celebration. The three highnesses were very eager to attend and the king knew he couldn't forbid them without an explanation as to why he didn't want them traveling to the kingdom of Freezenberg.

That was why Cedric had been sent to accompany them, under the guise of keeping the royals from adopting too many of the foreign holiday traditions, though Sofia could see through that farce almost immediately.

Christmas and Wassalia weren't that terribly different after all and she called Cedric out on it almost immediately.

It was a particularly unpleasant conversation to have with the princess, to have to explain to her that not only had her step-father ordered him to keep her away from her biological father's family, but that he was actively obeying those orders despite that he knew it was only hurting her.

The tears and cries of anger and hurt were nearly unbearable and after less than an hour of pleading, ever-weak to the wishes of his dearest friend, Cedric caved to her every whim.

So the two of them dressed in their warmest winter garb, fed Amber and James a lie about going into town to search for magical wares and started off in the direction of the mansion they had flown over on their way into the kingdom. This was where they had been standing for so many hours now that Cedric had lost count. He had also lost feeling in most of his extremities, particularly his fingers which the princess still held tight in her grasp.

He cleared his throat to break the silence once more and took a step forward. "I suppose I'll ring the bell."

"Don't." Sofia said quickly, pulling back on Cedric's hand to stop him. She blinked up at him as he stared down at her, curious for an explanation she couldn't truly give. Instead she muttered something that sounded like a valid excuse and averted her gaze. "I should be the one to do it. They're my family."

Cedric returned his foot to its original position and stood waiting for the princess to make her move. She was nervous, he could sense, though she had every reason to be. After all, she was about to meet a family that she had never known before. She had no idea who she would encounter or how she would be received or if they would even speak to her at all. Roland having forbade it likely made it all the more nerve-racking for her.

After battling off what he could only assume was much inner turmoil, Sofia stepped forward, pulling him with her as she raised a quaking hand to the bell chain. He watched her in silence a moment as she stood, clutching the chain in her mittened hold but she did nothing else. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that the sun was further setting behind them. As severely as he didn't want to rush her he felt he had little other choice. He reached out and placed his hand over hers, offering a smile in an effort to ease her worries. "Let's ring it together, shall we?"

Sofia's breath hitched. The thought of actually sending the bell into a thunderous ring filled her with dread but she knew Cedric was right to urge her along. She couldn't keep standing out there all night fighting to will herself into movement. She swallowed hard, closed her eyes and nodded. She felt Cedric's hand tighten over hers which in turned caused her to fully grip the chain. A slight tug sent the clapper flailing around within the dome.

The sound was deafening.

Cedric watched as Sofia stood, eyes still clenched tight. As badly as she seemed to want to meet her family she was clearly terrified at the prospect as well. He knew he could do little to comfort her but he still made the effort. He placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze as he pulled her against him. "It will be alright. I'll be with you the entire time."

Sofia pried her eyes open and looked up at Cedric. He was staring down at her with a warm, reassuring smile. If her face hadn't been frozen in concern she would have returned his smile. Instead she let him pull her closer and it did serve to give her a sense that everything would be okay so long as he was there, though it only lasted a moment. Someone exited the mansion in the distance and her body tensed instantly.

Cedric watched, eyes flashing over the approaching figure. It was a man and at first glance he appeared to be a native of the kingdom of Wei-Ling. A small bit of hope flashed through Cedric that perhaps they were in the wrong place. Perhaps the Balthazar family no long resided here and they could simply leave and be on their merry way and he wouldn't be disobeying a direct order from his king. Then he felt Sofia's hands gripping the fabric of his coat even tighter and guilt filled him. He shouldn't be hoping for such things. He should be helping her.

He cleared his throat as the man stopped short of the gate and looked to them expectantly. Closer examination showed this man to be a servant. He should have known as much. They were standing in front of a mansion after all. Surely the owners couldn't be bothered to come all the way out in the cold snow to answer a call at the gate. He eyed the man a moment and gave Sofia a gentle nudge but when it seemed her words had failed her he took the initiative of speaking on her behalf.

"I am Cedric the Sensational, Royal Sorcerer of Enchancia." He said, relishing in the use of his full title that he so rarely had the opportunity to employ. He then gestured to the princess who had managed to peal herself off of him long enough to offer a proper greeting. "This is Her Royal Highness, Princess Sofia of Enchancia. We seek council with the Balthazar family. Are they home?"

"Of course they are home." The servant replied with an annoyed tone. "But it is Christmas Eve and they do not wish to be disturbed."

Cedric stared in disbelief at the servant who turned from them without another word. Anger welled up within him immediately and he bolted toward the gate, wrapping his gloved fingers around the frosty iron. "You are going to deny the _Princess of Enchancia_ a meeting with the Balthazar family!? On what grounds!?"

"On the grounds that it is Christmas Eve and they do not wish to be disturbed." The servant called over his shoulder.

"Mr. Cedric, please." Sofia managed meekly. "L-let's just go."

"No." Cedric replied, turning to look at the princess. Her grief-stricken face only served to infuriate him more. They were not going to do this to her. They were not going to deny her perhaps the only chance she might have of meeting her father's side of her family. She had questions. She deserved answers. "You will meet them, Sofia. We didn't come all this way for nothing."

He produced his wand then and pointed it at the lock keeping the gate sealed. With a simple utterance of the proper spell, the gate opened and Cedric wasted no time. He scooped up Sofia's hand and pulled her along with him up the snow covered path to the mansion. The servant had disappeared inside but it wasn't his attention Cedric was hoping to garner. It was the Balthazars'.

When they reached the door he began pounding erratically against the massive wooden portal. He wasn't going to stop. He was going to barge his way into the home if necessary. He would do whatever it took for the princess to finally get some form of closure with her father's family. She had never done anything to deserve being ignored like this. He wasn't going to let them treat her this way. "Open up! Open up now or I'll blast the door down!"

"Mr. Cedric, don't!" Sofia cried out, reaching to tug on his arm. "Let's just go, Mr. Cedric! Please! I just want to go..."

Cedric froze in his tirade at the distraught timbre of Sofia's voice and he turned his gaze to her. She looked frightened and saddened and he realized quickly that he had been the cause of at least one of those emotions. "I-I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay." Sofia replied, burying her face into his coat. "But can we please just go?"

"Of course. Whatever you want to do." Cedric said softly in an effort to sooth the princess' woes.

Cedric watched disheartened as Sofia pulled away from him and started back down the path in the direction of the gate. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned back to the door. He hesitated a moment, unsure if he should simply walk away or try something a little less intimidating. He took his wand in hand once more and used it to conjure a piece of parchment. He had no quill but his wand would serve just fine in that purpose as well. He used the tool to imprint words on the parchment before sending it sailing through the crack under the door.

" _She's his daughter."_

He then turned and followed swiftly after Sofia. He caught up with her and her sluggish pace in no time at all and he could see the absolute sorrow on her face. It tore at his heart to see her so utterly disappointed. Of anyone he'd ever met, she deserved happiness more than anything.

"I'm sorry things didn't go as you'd hoped." He offered timidly. "And I'm sorry for my part in all this as well. I was anything but helpful. I was wrong to try and deny you access to them from the start. The way I acted a moment ago was even worse. I..." He trailed off as he felt her mittened hand slip into his. He glanced down at her to see her eyes focused on the ground. They still held such sorrow and he didn't know if there was anything he could say outside of a billion apologies that would alleviate the pain. "I'm so sorry for everything, Sofia. I-"

"Mr. Cedric... have I ever told you the story of why my parents settled in Enchancia?" Sofia asked, raising her gaze up to the man.

Cedric cocked a curious eyebrow at Sofia and answered her with a shake of his head. "I can't say that I've heard the tale."

"My mom was from Galdiz but my father was from Freezenberg." Sofia began quietly. "They happened to meet by chance one day while they were visiting Enchancia. My mom was there to help my grandpa sell shoes he had made and my father was on leave while the Freezenberg naval ship he served on was docked for repairs. Their paths crossed and they fell in love the moment they laid eyes on each other."

Cedric let out an involuntary snort. He had never bought into the myth of love at first sight and his outburst had conveyed as much. He immediately regretted the action, however, seeing a look of hurt cross the princess' features. He cleared his throat and averted his eyes from her guiltily. "Forgive me, that was rude. Please continue."

"Never mind." Sofia whispered hoarsely.

Cedric winced at his own stupidity before giving the princess' hand a gentle squeeze of apology. "Sofia, please... I want you to tell me more."

Sofia looked Cedric over skeptically, wondering if he truly wanted to hear more or if he was only being polite for her sake. She supposed it didn't matter. She needed to tell this story out loud, not for his sake but for her own. She inhaled deeply and returned her eyes to the streets ahead of them.

"Over the course of the next few days they spent every waking moment together. When it came time for my father to leave they vowed that they would see each other again despite the distance between the two kingdoms. They wrote to each other nearly every day and they had plans to visit each other when weather fared better but my father's family put a stop to it when they found out my mother was a shoemaker's daughter. Being a wealthy, noble family they didn't want their son involved with a peasant." Sofia said sadly, her brow furrowing at the thought. "They forbid him from ever contacting her again and began intercepting their letters. That was when my father left home and made his way to Enchancia. From there he wrote to my mother and told her of his circumstances and she made the decision to join him. They married shortly after and started their new life together and for a while they only had each other. Then I was born..."

Cedric nodded, knowing all too well what came next. He had heard the tragic tale oh so many times before in many different incarnations; two star-crossed lovers kept apart by outside forces, left with no other choice but to abscond into the night for the sake of their love only for the cruel hand of fate to swing down some time later and snatch any semblance of happily ever after. He wasn't one for such sappy, sentimental tales and typically frowned upon the stupidity of all parties involved... but knowing Sofia, the only beacon of light that had ever shone into his dark and dreary existence had been the product of such a union, his considerations over the matter were starting to shift ever so slightly. How could he look so negatively over something that had brought so much positivity into his life?

A small smile began tugging at his lips as he pictured what she must have been like as an infant; petite like she was now and the picture of perfection. "I'm sure you must have brought your parents endless joy."

"That's what my mom always said. She said I was a source of happiness for everyone who knew me..." Sofia replied with a shrug. "But the truth is that my father's family didn't feel joy at the news of my birth. They were outraged and they wrote him an angry letter informing him that he had disgraced the Balthazar name and that he was no longer considered a member of the family. The day he received that letter was the day he lost his life. It must have been weighing on him so heavily that he just couldn't focus and-"

"Sofia..." Cedric gripped the princess's hand tighter as tears began to trickle down her face. He reached his free hand instinctively over to wipe the tears away, though they just kept coming. Her features were shifting from sorrow to devastation as her face contorted in pain like he'd never seen and she sucked back a sob. He stopped walking immediately and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms as tightly around her as he could.

"I should have known they wouldn't see me." Sofia rasped out against the fabric of Cedric's coat. "I should have known they would hate me every bit as much as they did back then. I just... I had hoped that maybe their hearts had changed. I had hoped that since it was Christmas maybe they would feel differently about the whole thing. So much time has gone by and I-"

"Some people's hearts don't change, Sofia." Cedric said, stroking her auburn locks in an effort to lessen the pain he knew she was feeling. "I'm sorry but that is the sad reality of the world. Sometimes people are just callous and you can't change them but they don't deserve your time and they certainly don't deserve your tears."

"But they're my family..." Was all Sofia could manage in response. Cedric only pulled her closer to him, seemingly at a loss for words himself.

There was silence between them then for a long while as he let her cry against him. The only sounds to be heard outside of her small gasps for air were the snowflakes falling down around them and the fresh powder crunching under the weight of approaching footsteps. She held tightly to the sorcerer and buried her face deeper into the warm fabric of his coat in an attempt to shut the cold outside world away, but the sound of someone clearing their throat entered her ears and drew her back to the snow filled street on which she stood.

Cedric's gaze snapped from the grief-stricken princess to the intruder of their solitude. His eyes widened as he realized immediately that the person who had approached them was the very same servant who had turned them away at the Balthazar mansion only moments before. He looked to the man in questioning before turning a worried glance back to Sofia. He didn't know how much heartbreak she could handle in one evening and he was fully prepared to send the man packing if he so much as uttered an unpleasant syllable. "What do you want?"

The servant offered a low bow as he turned an apologetic gaze over the two before him. "You must forgive me. I did not know who she was. I... th-the Balthazar family would be more than happy to meet with you, Your Highness."

Sofia turned a stunned expression over to Cedric as she blinked in disbelief. Her words failed her and she tried over and over again to speak but only a tiny croak came out. She felt Cedric gift her hand with a gentle squeeze and she stared up at him, uncertainty swirling around her.

Cedric urged her forward, not verbally of course but with a small step back the way they had come. She was timidly matching his footsteps as they followed the servant back toward the Balthazar mansion. He could see that she was apprehensive as she had been since they had first arrived but this time seemed different. She seemed more uncertain than ever.

When they reached the threshold of the gate she stopped once more, seemingly to collect herself, and Cedric could feel her trembling via her hand still clutched in his. He halted and stood beside her, watching her as she stared ahead cautiously.

"M-Mr. Cedric, I-I don't know if I can do this." Sofia whispered.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Cedric replied, wrapping his arm around her once more. "But as I told you before, I'll be with you the entire time. I don't know if that's much of a comfort but-"

"It is, Mr. Cedric." Sofia replied, a small, timid smile working its way across her face. "And I think I can be ready... as long as you're with me."

Cedric let out a relieved sigh to see her smiling up at him; the first smile he had seen on her face all day. He shifted to grab her mittened hand once more and returned her smile with one of his own. "I wouldn't be anywhere else, my dear. Now, let's go meet your family..."

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AN #2: I don't know much about Sofia's father, Birk, (do any of us outside of the creators?) So this was just my interpretation of events of how he met Miranda and why they lived in Enchancia, so far away from both of their homes. I'm probably way off but what can you do?

Hopefully we'll find out more about him in future episodes and hopefully it won't be nearly as depressing as my take on it.

I'm batting around the idea of doing a second part to this, and I suppose if there's enough interest I might. It all depends.

Anyhow, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Pretty, pretty please let me know what you thought about it!


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